Second Life
by Lenihan
Summary: Imagined continue of the series after episode 25. Can contain huge spoilers if you haven't seen the episode yet. Roy and Ed have to fight against the unknown enemies of the military.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Author's Note:** The idea of this story was born after I'd seen episode 25 of Full Metal Alchemist. I just couldn't believe Hughes was dead! I thought it was cruel, he didn't deserve that. So, to let him play his role in the whole story a little longer, I came up with this idea. I hope everyone likes it, but please tell me if you don't or if you feel anything can be better.

**Warnings:** A lot of spoilers from episode 25... so if you're new in the series and you haven't seen that episode yet, I strongly advise you not to read it yet. It's also Alternate Universe (meaning it's written in a different universe than the original series... you'll see why), and for the rest I wouldn't know yet. Oo;;

**

* * *

Second Life – Chapter One**

The halls and rooms were all covered in darkness, while silence filled the empty spaces. A ghostly figure, shimmering a little, walked quietly through the house, pausing every so often to gaze at the familiar sights. This had been his dream for a long time and he had worked hard for it. But it didn't belong to him anymore.

Knowing he would break certain rules – but that was what rules were for after all – he opened the door to what had been once his bedroom. In the darkened room, still looking cozy with all the furniture and small artifacts, was a woman with short, dark blond hair, sleeping restlessly on the bed. He smiled, drawing slowly near the woman until he stood right beside her. Stains of tears glistened in the soft moonlight and he tenderly let one finger stroke her cheek. A faint smile formed on her lips and she sighed, calming down.

With a smile, he walked away and gently closed the door again. "Take care of yourself, Gracia…"

He moved further until he reached the room of his daughter. Although there was no light shining from under the door, someone was clearly awake, for he could hear his daughter's muffled crying. He hesitated, but trusted the fact that no one could see him and entered the room.

Alicia, her blond hair sticking to all sides, lay on her bed, her face buried in the pillow, clutching at the same time at the huge teddy bear he had bought for her fourth birthday. His heart wrenched with pain to see his daughter like that. He loved her more than anything and the knowledge that his presence would offer no solace or whatsoever brought him on the verge of tears. Still, he stroked the girl's hair once, then turned around to walk away.

"Papa?" Alicia's voice made him freeze in his tracks. "Papa?" The young girl's voice had turned a trifle unsure. He finally turned back to his daughter, his golden eyes wide with surprise. Alicia gave him an almost similar look before climbing off her bed and running to him. "Papa!"

"Alicia… How…?"

His daughter clutched to his legs, as she used to do when he came home from work. Without thinking about it, he placed a hand on her head. "Papa, what are you doing here? Mama says you're far, far away and that you won't come back anymore. Then why are you here?"

Former Lieutenant Colonel Mars Hughes, a man with an excellent memory and huge knowledge, remained silent, not knowing what to say. How could he explain to a child of four that what was happening at the moment was impossible? How could he answer that question, when he didn't know the answer himself?

* * *

The bedroom of Roy Mustang was a serious mess. Clothes and subjects were thrown carelessly on the floor. A few cans with paint stood in the middle of the room, still closed. Roy Mustang himself lay on his bed, his head buried in his arms. His shoulders moved irregularly up and down, though he made no sound.

"This looks familiar," a startlingly well-known voice suddenly said. Roy jerked his head up and though his vision was still blurred from the tears, he could clearly see his old friend standing in the middle of the room.

"Mars?" Somehow his mind refused to accept that his deceased friend stood now before him, all healthy and alive. No, wait. Something seemed to be different from the Mars Hughes he remembered, although he couldn't quite figure out what it exactly was.

Hughes walked towards him, a familiar smile flickering on his lips. His feet made no sound and with an eerie silence, he settled himself next to his friend. "Are those tears, Roy?" he asked faintly amused. "Do you really care so much about me?"

Roy didn't know what to say. He finally turned his head away and laughed, though it sounded bitter and devoid of any joy. "So this must be my punishment," he mused half-loudly, "for letting my best friend get killed. The loss alone wasn't enough. Commodore Hughes has come back to show I've turned insane. Well, perhaps even better."

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Roy echoed, laughing again, pushing himself from the bed. "He wants to know what I'm talking about. I can't believe I'm even considering this is really happening." He produced another forced laugh, then sank through his knees, his hands covering his face.

"Roy…" Shocked by the unusual behaviour of his friend, the spectre of Hughes rose from the bed and kneeled down near the crying alchemist, putting an arm around Mustang's shoulders.

Mustang tried to shake off the arm. "Leave me alone, you've done your work. I'm officially insane now. Stop hunting me and let me grief about your death in peace."

Hughes said nothing. Instead, he let his golden eyes travel through the room. It was indeed much alike that one time, more than seven years ago, when he brought an apple pie from Gracia to Roy. Right after the Ishvar war, Roy had sunk into a depression and in despair he had started on the most forbidden taboo, human transmutation. Only his fear for death had stopped him that time. But Hughes feared there was very little left to prevent him from performing the forbidden alchemy this time. Especially now he was convinced he had lost his sanity…

"You… were about to perform human transmutation, weren't you?" He glanced aside at his friend, who was trying to gain control over his emotions. "To resurrect me? Or doesn't it matter, as long as you loose your life? What happened to your wish to become Furher? Answer me, Roy!" The Flame Alchemist chose to remain silent, which aggravated Hughes more than just a bit.

"Why did you, the one who said he'd always support me, leave me behind?" came suddenly emotionless from beside him. Hughes leveled his head towards Mustang, for a moment completely at loss for words. "Why didn't you tell me about the Elric brothers? Why did you keep information behind for me? Why?"

"Because," Hughes answered slowly, thinking over his answer thoroughly, "I didn't want to bring you in any danger. Roy, I don't know what's happening at the moment and I don't understand how it's possible that you can see me. But I know one thing. The military is in danger. And I think I've been sent back to help you out."

* * *

"Mama, I've seen papa last night. He stood in my room and he hugged me. Mama, you said papa was at a far away place, but I've really seen papa yesterday. Does that mean he has come back from that far away place? … Mama?"

Shocked and unsure how to deal with this situation, Gracia stared at her only daughter. Her face had turned pale, almost white, from the moment Alicia had mentioned her husband, Mars Hughes.

She produced a wan smile. "That's not possible, Alicia. You probably have dreamt it. Now, eat your breakfast."

"But it's true, mama! I really saw papa yesterday! I really did!"

Gracia stroked her daughter over her hair in a comforting way. "Hush now, Alicia. You're just still upset of all that has happened. But mama's here. Don't worry."

"Mama!"

"I don't want to hear anything about this anymore," she said suddenly very strict, turning away from Alicia. "Papa is not here, and there is no way he could have been in your room. Now eat your breakfast and go outside to play with the other children." Her voice wavered under the unbearable grief she carried with her.

"Mama…" Alicia slipped from her chair and walked to her mother, firmly wrapping her chubby arms around her mother's waist. "Don't cry, mama. Let's not cry. Papa said he loves you and he doesn't want to see you crying. Don't cry, mama."

Gracia absently picked up her daughter as she tried to regain control over her emotions. "I know. Let's not cry anymore, Alicia. We'll be fine. Let's not cry anymore." And she pulled the young girl closer to her, feeling her sadness strangely being soothed by the girl presence. Soon, very soon, she'd be able to smile again. But for the time being, she just wanted to be comforted.

* * *

"Commodore Maes Hughes," Hughes read aloud from the gravestone decorating his resting place. "Promoted two ranks after being killed in action…" He fell silent, lost in thought. Mustang took that as an opportunity to examine his ghostly friend. For one thing, Hughes seemed not to notice the drizzly rain that was falling down from the grey sky. The cold, wet moist slipping into his collar and from there gliding down his back was something Mustang did notice and he didn't care much about it.

He ducked deeper inside his black raincoat in a vain attempt to stop the rain from falling inside his coat. Whatever his friend was thinking over, he fervently wished it wouldn't take too long. Night was taking over the city and the already not that warm air was turning even colder. Combined with the rain, it was rather unpleasant to be outside at the moment.

"I wonder why they do that, you know," Hughes suddenly said. "Giving promotions after you've died. When I was still alive, I thought it was quite an honour, but now it doesn't mean a thing to me. As a matter of fact, there is very little of life that concerns me."

"I guess that's logic," Roy answered evasively. Although he had accepted the fact he hadn't become insane, he still couldn't believe he was truly talking to his best friend. It seemed unnatural for some reason and his perceptions of life and death had been slightly altered by that. "Apart from that, we still don't know why you are here and why I can see you."

"Ah, that's right." Hughes stared absently at the gravestone. "You're not the only one, though."

"Oh?" He gazed penetratingly at his friend.

"Alicia could see me as well. If I'm here with a reason, I wonder what her role is going to be in this."

Mustang shrugged a trifle indifferently. "She's a little girl who has just lost her father," he said. "I wouldn't hold too much hope that she's going to be the little heroine of whatever this mission is going to be. I'm sorry if I shatter any hopes, Maes. I know you love your daughter, but I think you have to be reasonable with this."

"I know, I know. It's not like I want her to be in any danger." For a ghost, he managed to sound pretty annoyed. "So. Where do we start?"

"How should I know?" Mustang glared at Hughes. "You came back Central, you come up with a solution… or at least provide us a beginning. Why don't you start telling _me_ why you haven't said anything about the Elric brothers or what you were up to before you were killed?" He immediately regretted his last stab. It might not concern Hughes, but the wound inside his heart cause by his friend's death was still too fresh to talk lightly about it.

"Ah, that. The Elric brothers… They were caught up in a chain of events rapidly following each other up. It all started with manuscript of Dr. Tim Marco about the creation of the Philosopher's Stone and-"

"Wait. Did you say Marco's manuscript? About the Philosopher's Stone? Wasn't that lost after he left the army?" Mustang gazed at his friend, but Hughes ignored and continued his story.

"And the discovery of how the Philosopher's Stone could be created."

There was a long silence and only the sound of water falling down on the gravestones, the ground and Mustang's raincoat could be heard. The small and young alchemist actually discovered how he could create the most wanted thing in the world, the legendary stone, the infinite amplifier. The Philosopher's Stone.

"Their guards, lieutenant Ross and sergeant Bloch, had told them at that point to stay out of the business until they knew for sure there were no dangers in it. But Edward and Alphonse – mainly Edward, I guess – paid no attention to those restrictions and went to the fifth laboratory for-"

"Fifth laboratory?" Mustang interrupted him again. "But I thought that was not used anymore."

"Ah, that was what everyone thought," Hughes nodded pensively. "But it was used by someone and the materials for the Philosopher's Stone were there. Roy, they met Homonculus."

"Homon… culus…?" Mustang turned his head away and stared at the cold gravestone, lost in thought. There had been so many things going on in Central, things he hadn't been aware of, while he should have. Back in East, he was kept ignorant of those important happenings. Surely, Hughes would have had his own reasons for this, but still…

"So, where is Full Metal now? He's not in Central anymore."

"Edward was, as you know, hospitalized after the accidents in the fifth laboratory. Alphonse had lost his legs and arms – bitten off, he had said, by a strange guy – and Edward's automail had stopped working. For the rest, all he had were minor injuries and bruises. But I heard from lieutenant Ross he was very close to dying. The materials for the Philosopher's Stone were spread out over the floor and Edward somehow absorbed them, increasing his powers to infinity, which was more than he could handle."

"Absorbing the Philosopher's Stone to increase your alchemic powers, right? Full Metal surely has creative manners to become better." But Mustang's voice was strange bitter, remembering how he had felt with _his_ incomplete Philosopher's Stone. "That still doesn't explain your death. If you want to talk about it," he quickly added, throwing a questioningly gaze at Hughes.

Hughes shrugged. "Why wouldn't I want to talk about it? Such things have very little meaning to me." He stared into the distance, recollecting his thoughts. Suddenly, his eyes glazed and when he spoke, his words came out slightly haltingly. "Be careful, Roy. The enemy has infiltrating within the military, and some have managed to work themselves up into high positions. Don't trust anyone, not even those you know, because there are people out there who know how to alter their physical appearance. Pay heed to this warning, or you will end up in the House of Death as well."

Hughes shook his head, as if he had just woken up from an intensive dream, and looked around slightly bewildered. "Did I just say something?"

_TBC_


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Author's Note:** Second chapter of this fanfic. I want to thank everyone for their comments on the first chapter, for as far as I hadn't done that yet. I hope this chapter is quite good as well. I don't know. My experience is that it's hard to judge your own artwork. Anyway, next chapter ought to have the return of Ed (it's Alternate Universe, remember, so I can do whatever I want to do P) and if I don't make it in the next chapter, it'll be the fourth one. Have fun reading it.

**Warnings:** A lot of spoilers from episode 25... so if you're new in the series and you haven't seen that episode yet, I strongly advise you not to read it yet. It's also Alternate Universe (meaning it's written in a different universe than the original series... you'll see why), and for the rest I wouldn't know yet. Oo;;

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* * *

Second Life – Chapter Two**

When he walked through the bright halls of the military headquarters, Mustang felt strangely tight up and unwanted. Everything appeared to be exactly the same as a couple of weeks ago, with the lower ranked people melting away for him and others greeting him with a small nod before continuing with their tasks. But it wasn't the same. The revelation of his best friend had taken care of that.

Cautiously, he watched at the familiar sights of the people he had always thought they were loyal to him. Sergeant Major Free, Lieutenant Breda, Lieutenant Farman and several others. Could he trust them? How could he be sure that they were truly the persons they said they were? How far has the enemy infiltrated in the military? The knowledge that the Führer's personal secretary most probably belonged to the enemy had shocked him for some reason. What was probably even worse was that he couldn't talk to anyone about it. No one could be trusted.

"Good morning, Colonel," Lieutenant Hawkeye greeted him neutrally as he sank down in his chair. She waited patiently until he was settled down. Then, after looking carefully around to make sure no one heard her, she asked in a low voice, "Are you alright, sir? Wouldn't it be better for you to wait a few days with work?"

Mustang waved irritably. "I'm fine. Besides, I have to get to work one day. I can't let one incident determine the rest of my life. What happened while I was absent?" While he said this, he silently thanked Hughes for his conversation.

_"I want you to continue your life, just as you've always done. Don't let incident like mine determine the rest of your life. You have to move forward."_ Mustang had promised himself at that moment to follow up his friend's advice. It was only a pity that Hughes couldn't take the credit he deserved for it. 

As he listened to report of Hawkeye, he allowed himself to examine his faithful assistant. It was something he always did. He could concentrate better when he looked at something feminine. All kind of thoughts flashed through his mind when suddenly one popped right out of the continuous stream. What if Hawkeye belonged to the enemy as well?

That notion nearly let him choke in his coffee, but he managed to keep his face neutral and to suppress any urges to show his consternation. If Lieutenant Hawkeye did belong to the enemy, whoever they were, then he would have no idea what to do. She knew most of his schedules, took over his work whenever he was absent. Thus she knew precisely what was going on in the cases he was involved in. Mustang slowly began to realize the importance of Hughes' warning and what his best friend had tried to do.

"Morning, Colonel. I trust everything is fine?" Jovial and frank as always, with his ever-present cigarette in the corner of his mouth, Lieutenant John Havoc entered the new office. Despite the current events, he managed to look cheerful, though Mustang perceived it was forced. Forced because Havoc as well was taken aback by the death of Commodore Hughes or were there reasons more murky than his loyal subordinate dared to confess?

Mustang shook his head slightly and irritably. Hughes had told him to be alert, not paranoid. And he was surely getting paranoid if he even started to suspect his most loyal assistants of evil intentions. Yet the thought that those two might work together against him and the military refused to leave his mind.

"Ah, I'm fine. Was that all, Lieutenant?" he demanded, looking up at the blond woman.

Hawkeye nodded, the strands of hair atop of her head bobbling along with the movement. "Yes, sir. That was all. I tried to do as much work as I could, but there were a few classified cases only you or a higher ranked officer could open, read and sign. If you'd start on that before turning over to the daily work, I could take them to the necessarily departments."

Strict and efficient as always. Somehow, it set Mustang's mind at peace that she hadn't taken a look at the classified cases. They usually contained secret information that should not be spread throughout the country. No matter how many high-ranked officers belonged to this mysterious group, Hawkeye most probably didn't belong to them. The future would tell him if he could truly trust her.

* * *

Calm, serene, but into his fingertops alert to any unusual movement or behaviour, Commodore Hughes stepped through the halls he had walked down so often, he could close his eyes and still find the way. Yet no matter how many times he had been there, the feeling of not belonging there was strong. Indeed it would have been better if he hadn't come at all. The military and his years of duty dated back from when he was alive. He could no longer go back to that.

But Hughes admitted he wasn't prepared yet to let it all go. He wished to know how everyone was doing, if the investigation department was still running and – most importantly – who was now in charge of the investigation department.

A small movement caught his eye and Hughes whirled around to catch it, but all he saw were two colleagues talking to each other. Their voices were strangely hushed, and he drew closer to listen to the conversation.

"I truly don't like this new guy," one of them said. "He looks like a zombie and his eyes are cold and dead. Does he never smile?"

"As far as I know, he doesn't. That's Lieutenant Colonel Archer for you, alright," the other replied.

The first one glanced nervously around. "I probably shouldn't say this, but I wish Commodore Hughes was still alive. This Archer… I don't trust him. Every time I look at him, I get shivers all over me."

"He's a creep, yes, but I'd keep that opinion to yourself. You never know what he's going to do to you when he finds out about this."

"I was already planning to do that. I'd like to live longer than today. But I'd better go. Archer expects certain reports before lunch."

_That was an interesting conversation_, Hughes mused as he, too, moved on. _So Frank Archer is my successor? I could have known it. He had wanted that post for ages. It seems that my death came quite handy for him._

Personally, Hughes didn't like Archer either. The man was only a few years older than him, but a complete idiot with only one hobby: war. He was a leech, though Hughes could come up with worse names for the guy, and he lived on the misfortunes of others. If it had been possible, he'd have protested against his current successor and appointed someone else, someone more trustworthy. Someone like… Major Armstrong?

He faced the muscular man, who had suddenly appeared before him out of nowhere. Many people preferred to be away from the strong Alchemist, most of them were silently afraid of him. But Hughes had always liked the Strongarm Alchemist, because he was loyal and reliable. He carried out his job without too much protest.

The shoulders of the tall, broad man were slumped and there was a sad expression on his face. Armstrong had always been a trifle emotional, but Hughes suspected there were other reasons at the moment. The Alchemist had been his right hand, but Archer wasn't the kind of man to listen to the advice of a subordinate.

The Strongarm Alchemist headed towards the exit, to carry out his orders, whether he liked them or not. His former superior allowed himself to take a little peek inside his old office. 'Zombie' was only a mild way to express to guy's appearance. His skin was as white as sheet and his eyes, ice cold blue, scanned the environment constantly with a dead interest. Before him on the desk lay a thin dossier. Hughes did not have to read what was written on it, since he knew already its contents. There was another war coming up.

* * *

"Have you found anything at all?" Mustang asked that night.

His ghostly friend shook his head. "Nothing at all. I heard several people complaining about Archer, which I can understand, and there's another war coming up, but nothing you probably didn't know by now."

The two friends were situated on a bench near the graveyard. Nobody might notice Hughes talking when they passed the bench, but they would hear Mustang and the Flame Alchemist didn't feel much for being looked upon as mentally deranged. It was quite common, though, to talk to someone who had only recently passed away when you were at the graveyard.

"I didn't notice anything as well. I was even summoned to the Führer and as far as I could determine, he acted just like normal. I didn't get to see his secretary, though." Mustang frowned. "I also checked on my people, but I don't think they have any connections with the Homonculus."

"I still wouldn't trust them completely," Hughes cautioned. "I think our enemy is good at hiding and never forget there walks one around who can change his appearance. It an amazing thing to look at, but enemy is enemy. And you can't kill them."

"I know, I know." Impatiently, he waved the warnings away. "We can't do anything until we know exactly who else has joined this conspiracy. I can't do much as long as I'm working. Hawkeye manages to find tons of papers every morning and I often don't even have enough time to finish them in one day. I sometimes think she writes them herself as well. And the only military people I see are my direct subordinates and sometimes someone of another department. The investigation has to be done mainly by you."

Hughes flashed a broad grin at him. "Isn't that what I've always done anyway?" Mustang permitted himself to smile. The smile faded quickly, however, when his friend raised another problem. "What if the Führer is our enemy as well?"

* * *

Alicia had finally fallen asleep on the sofa, her head settled against her mother's shoulder. Gracia picked up the little girl carefully, trying not to wake her up, and carried her to her bedroom. The elder woman felt strangely exhausted as well, but it was considered impolite to sleep when you had visitors.

The blonde woman returned to the living room, where her old friend and doctor sat. "Thank you for coming, Doctor," she said relieved. "Alicia frightened me a little when she claimed to have seen my husband." Her gaze wandered automatically to the small photograph on the table, the last picture Maes had taken before he passed away. Tears welled up and she bit on her lip to push them back.

Doctor Keith Grant took her hand, patting her sympathetically. "It's alright," he assured. "The first few months are always the worst, for both the child as the mother as well. She'll get over it as the months pass by."

Gracia smiled warmly at him, grateful for his compassion. "I know. I just… can't believe he's gone. I expect him coming home every minute and the mornings… I think the mornings are the worst. When I wake up and I realise he's no longer with me, it seems as if I've ended up in some endless nightmare." She took a deep breath, wiping away a lost tear and smiled bravely. "But there are times I can almost feel his presence, like now, and then I just know he's somewhere watching me and waiting for me. And that's a comforting thought."

Keith nodded, then looked closer at her. "Is everything alright with you as well? I know times are hard, but you seem to be a bit wan and absent-minded."

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking, though."

"Well, I'd better be on my way, then. It seems to me you need your rest. Tell me when you have problems with sleeping, I can give you sleeping pills then."

"Thanks for you offer. You're a good friend." She led him to the door. "I'll see you another time again."

"See you later, Gracia. Take care of yourself and the little girl. Bye bye."

"Bye."

From her room, Alicia had listened to the conversation and tears welled up. _Why?_ she thought. _Why doesn't mama want to believe me? Why doesn't she want to believe I saw papa?_

_TBC_


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Author's Note:** INCOMING EDWARD!!!!! Welcome, chibi. gets kicked by an angry Ed Oo;; Right... Welcome, Fullmetal. gets a glare from Ed, who then turns away, snorting disdainfully  
There isn't much to say, except that I am pleasantly surprised to have finished it already. Writing from Ed's pov is fun. :D I should do that more often.  
The pieces are now officially set, so the real story can start. Yes, you can consider the first three chapters as a prologue, we get all the fun and action after this chapter... I hope. ¬¬ I'm not the best author when it comes down to action scenes, but oh well, I can always try.

**Warnings:** A lot of spoilers from episode 25... so if you're new in the series and you haven't seen that episode yet, I strongly advise you not to read it yet. It's also Alternate Universe (meaning it's written in a different universe than the original series... you'll see why), and for the rest I wouldn't know yet. Oo;;

**

* * *

Second Life – Chapter Three**

The sun shone brightly when the Elric brothers worked themselves out of the crowded train. The oldest – and the smallest of the two – stretched his arms lazily upwards in an attempt to get the blood circulating again in certain parts of his body. The youngest – and tallest – waited patiently until his older brother was ready to move.

"It's good to be back in Central again," Edward commented as his golden eyes scanned swiftly the familiar area. "It's only been a few months, but I feel like we've been away from here for years. If there's any place we can call home next to Rizenbul, it's Central."

"Hn," agreed Alphonse, lifting off Ed's suitcase. "I know what you mean. There are so many people we know here by now and who we haven't seen for a long time… I wonder how everyone is doing."

"Yeah. Sensei is a nice woman, I guess, but she can be a trifle too harsh if you ask me. Oh well. Let's find our way to the headquarters. I want to get the scolding from the Colonel as soon as possible. I bet he has worked out some fine remarks about us sneaking away. Anyway, if we're not going to present ourselves at his office and he hears of our return, he'll send the whole army to drag us to him. I'd rather not undergo that humilitation."

Alphonse said nothing, but would have smiled nervously if it was possible.

"Edward-kun, Alphonse-kun. You are back?" greeted the usual strict First Lieutenant when they entered the huge, white building. "Where have you two been?"

"Oh, just checking a few things," Ed replied off-hand. "I heard Colonel Mustang has been transferred back to Central. How come?"

The face of the beautiful Lieutenant darkened slightly. "I think you'd better ask him that question yourself and let him decide whether it will be of any use to answer that." The two brothers exchanged a startled look. First Lieutenant Hawkeye might be stern, but never mysterious like that. Did something happen while they were gone?

"I'll show you the way to his new office," Hawkeye offered to break the uncomfortable silence that had developed after her statement. Ed nodded – what else could he do? Although he had been around Central long enough to know his way through the building, he had never been before in Mustang's new 'office', basically because the Flame Alchemist got transferred after he and Al were gone on their journey towards South.

"Colonel. Edward-kun and Alphonse-kun are back."

The Flame Alchemist stood with his face towards the window and did not turn around when Hawkeye had spoken. Edward felt a strange oppression between the two, an unspoken agreement that went above normal conversations. Something had definitely happened in Central. And didn't promise much good.

"Show them in." The words were carefully and clearly pronounced, with an artistically slow cadence. It was, Edward thought, a bad sign, since it mostly had to do with Mustang controlling his anger.

Hawkeye stepped aside to let the two brothers in and closed the door softly. Edward decided to try boldness instead of coming up with excuses and stepping around the subject. "I heard they finally got enough of you in the East, Colonel. Have they called you back so they can keep an eye on you. Oh, hello, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. I didn't know you were here as well. … Did I say something wrong?"

Both men had exchanged a questioning look before staring at him in amazement. Alphonse also gazed at him, expressionless as usual, but his voice gave away his astonishment. "Niisan, Hughes-san is not in this room."

"But…" started the confused Alchemist, looking at the presence of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes.

Mustang interrupted him. "Alphonse. Please leave us alone, will you? I'll call you when we're ready. Fullmetal and I need to talk to each other… privately." The reason was obvious, of course. Ed had not informed his direct superior of his actions and had asked others to remain quiet about it as well. Still, there was a tenseness in the Colonel voice that didn't quite fit.

"Uhm… Hai. I'll wait outside." Alphonse bowed slightly and left the room.

The boy and the two men waited silently. Finally, burning with curiosity, Edward demanded, "Alright, what's going on? Lieutenant Hawkeye acted strange when I asked about your transfer to Central, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is here, while I've never seen him here before and according to Al, he's not here at all." The question was incoherent, but that didn't matter. "I don't understand any of it!"

Mustang raised his hand before the small boy could continue. "You say you can see Commodore Hughes?"

"Who can't see him? He's plainly standing in my view." It took a bit longer for Ed to grasp the last two words. His golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean, Commodore Hughes? It was still Lieutenant Colonel Hughes when Al and I left, and I doubt anyone can receive two promotions at such short notice." He gazed up at the to older men, suddenly unsure of his own reason. "Right?" he added hesitantly.

* * *

The sun had suitably disappeared when they entered the graveyard. Both Mustang and himself had decided the best way to break the news to the young boy was to show him the stone on the graveyard. Alphonse would hear it of either his brother or someone else walking around in Central.

"What's the meaning of this, Colonel?" the golden-haired boy demanded angrily, though Hughes noticed that Edward was only trying to hide his fright behind a mask of annoyance.

Mustang didn't reply, simply pointed at the gravestone that decorated a fresh grave. Apprehensively, Edward approached towards Hughes' final resting place and read what was written on the stone. Blood drained visibly from his face as he slowly became aware of the meaning of the words.

"Nonsense! This can't be true!" The young Alchemist turned around, trembling violently. "This has to be a joke!"

Mustang shook his head. "It's not a joke," he stated matter-of-factly. "Commodore Hughes is truly dead." He glanced up at the shimmering spectre. "You can always ask him, I suppose."

Edward stared at them, first at Mustang then at Hughes, shock written all over his face. "I don't believe this," he declared. "I don't believe any of this. It has to be a joke, it has to be! It can't be true!!!" He turned around and ran away, stumbling now and then over unseen obstacles.

"Edward!!!" Mustang called after him. For as far as Hughes knew, it was the first time his friend called the young boy by his first name. He began to move as well, with the intention to go after the boy, but Hughes held him back.

"Let him alone. He needs some time alone. But he'll come around, I'm sure of it. And if he doesn't, I don't think you'll be the right person to calm him down. You'd better sent Lieutenant Hawkeye, or maybe Gracia." Hughes noticed Mustang glared at him. "It's nothing personal," he hastily assured. "It's more that women have more experience with comforting children." He watched the golden figure disappear. "We sometimes tend to forget they are children as well."

Mustang didn't reply, but turned back to the gravestone. There hung a comfortable silence between the two of them; words were not needed. They both thought of the same thing, but it was Mustang who finally raised the point. "If Fullmetal can see you as well… does this mean he's involved in this case as well, whatever it is?"

Hughes shrugged helplessly. "How should I know? I know just as much about this as you do and I can't look into the future."

"You were doing a pretty good job the last time," his friend commented wryly.

"That wasn't me." The former intelligence officer frowned. "I think we can trust Edward to handle himself when it gets dangerous, like we both can. What concerns me most at the moment, though, is Alicia's safety. Until we know for sure she has no role in this game, she is in danger as well and she won't be able to protect herself. And I don't think we should neglect the thought that she is going to be part of it all as well."

Mustang nodded slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Protect her, Roy. Whenever you can, I beg you, protect her."

* * *

Deep in silence, the two friends moved solemnly through the darkened streets of Central. Mustang watched how people hurried back home, how children waved goodbye to each other and how one by one the lights were turned one. The sight of it was domestical and strangely calming down. It allowed him to think about the previous events.

So Fullmetal was drawn in this case as well. He could have known it, of course. The eldest of the Elric brothers had a natural gift for meddling into adult's business and attracting problems like a magnet. Maybe it had been a mistake to allow the boy to became a State Alchemist, although Mustang doubted it would have done any good. At least he could keep an eye on them now. It was perhaps scant comfort, but comfort all the same.

And then there was this promise he had made to Hughes. Although he could understand his friend's reasons and it was clear that Hughes himself would be unable to shield his daughter from any harm, he nonetheless didn't like the idea of becoming the champion of a little girl. Children were perhaps alright, but what did he know of them?

A more nagging reason why he didn't like this arrangement was that he would be forced to go to Hughes' house… and face Gracia and Alicia. Yes, he was afraid of them, afraid of what they might think of him. Hughes would support him until the end and had, in a manner of speaking, died for him. It had been all his fault in the first place and the guilt made it impossible to look them straight in the eyes.

Unconsciously, or perhaps deliberately, they had come to the house where the mourning widow and fatherless child lived. Mustang stopped, gazing at the door, at the lights that shone through the windows. Looking at it from his safe spot, it seemed as if nothing had happened, as if everything was still the same. He used to visit them often when he was still in Central. The sight of the house was still the same as so many times before. But no matter how much it looked the same, it was different.

"Did you want to visit Gracia?" Hughes asked quietly. "You can do that, if you want. I can stay outside."

Mustang looked away from the familiar sight and shook his head slightly. "No, I wouldn't know what to say. Besides, she's not expecting me at the moment. I'll come another time."

"You know it's alright to visit her without sending a note. You're always welcome, just like before."

"Perhaps," he replied after a long silence. "Perhaps you're right. But… like I said, I wouldn't know what to say to her."

The door opened and Sciezska stepped outside. Mustang took involuntarily a few steps back, emerging himself with the surrounding darkness. If Gracia saw him, he was forced to walk to her and even worse, to talk to her. He was definitely not yet ready for that.

"Come again soon," the familiar voice said.

"I will, Gracia-san. Bye bye, Alicia-chan."

The door was closed again and Mustang sighed relieved. The worst part was over… or so he thought. Sciezska had seen them – or rather, seen him – and her face set on an angry expression. She moved quickly towards them, nearly running, until she stood right before him.

"How dare you to show your face up here? Haven't you caused enough pain yet? Heh, I see you're frightened to pay a visit to Gracia-san. Why else would you hide in the darkness? Only taking the opportunity to raise in ranks, do you?" The woman was obviously outraged and she stressed her incoherent little speech by waving with her arms in front of his face.

Although quite a few things hurt him deeply, he kept his face neutral. When she finally paused to catch her breath again, he replied coldly, "You don't know what you are talking about. You are clearly greatly upset about Hughes' death, but as I have said before, there is very little I can do."

"You don't even want to consider it," she snapped at him. She began to dug in her bag, pulling out one book after another and pushed them in his hands. "These were the books he had been researching before he died. If you have any honour left, you investigate this in the name of your friend, though I doubt you even know the word honour. Now, excuse me." Disdainfully, she walked away, as if the Colonel's presence offended her.

"Spirited young woman," Mustang muttered, glancing at the pile of books in his arms. "Is there anything in these books I don't know yet?"

"Well, I already told you what I discovered, but it might be very well possible that there's something in it I missed." Hughes sounded slightly surprised and he glanced down at his own body. "You know, having her standing at exactly the same place as where I stand is the most weirdest thing I've ever experienced."

"Can you please be serious?"

"Sorry. But it's true."

"It's disgusting."

Hughes laughed. "Do you want me to carry a couple of books?"

"No, thanks. I wonder if you're even able to carry them and besides, people tend to get nervous when they start to see books floating through the air. Let's go to my house to get rid of those books and then back to the headquarters. I need Fullmetal more or less coherent and he needs to understand the situation we're in."

_TBC_


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Author's Note:** Eep, I hope this is a bit alright. Oo;; No real action yet (thank god), but I hope I didn't bring people too much out of character. It's getting more difficult now to continue with my own storyline, I notice I get a bit influenced by the new episodes.  
Anyway, I loved the last bit. That was great to write!!!! :D Even though it's the shortest part of the whole chapter, it felt good to write!! :D I'm absolutely happy now, even a bit hyper. Oo;; That's not good.  
I'm a bit scared for the next chapter, since I'll be more or less forced to have a real fighting/action scene in that one. God knows I can't do that. Oo;; So it might take a while before I have an update. Apart from that scene, I want to work on several other stories as well. ;  
By the way, they translated Sloth's rank wrong. It's not Colonel Juliet Douglas, but Captain Juliet Douglas. I don't know who said it, but it was definitely 'taii' and that means captain.

**Warnings:** A lot of spoilers from episode 25... so if you're new in the series and you haven't seen that episode yet, I strongly advise you not to read it yet. It's also Alternate Universe (meaning it's written in a different universe than the original series... you'll see why), and for the rest I wouldn't know yet. Oo;;

**

* * *

Second Life – Chapter Four**

Aimlessly, the Fullmetal Alchemist wandered through the city, loosing himself in the maze of streets and narrow alleys. He didn't notice the rain that had suddenly replaced the sun of this morning, he didn't notice the people around him, as a matter of fact, there was very little he did notice. The only thing he was aware of was the consuming grief inside him, resting on his chest like a heavy stone. Edward did not cry, although he wished he could.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes – no _Commodore_ Hughes – was dead. Dead, like Nina, Majhal and all the others. Dead, like their mother. Although he had never dared to admit it, Commodore Hughes had been a replacement for his own father, who had left his family behind years ago. The Intelligence officer, though often annoying with his boundless love for his daughter, was always there to help the Elric brothers. He realised only now how much he actually had depended on the elder man.

There was a familiar, heavy clanging sound coming from behind him. "Niisan! Wait a moment! Niisan!"

Edward stood still and within seconds, his younger brother stood next to him. Despite the fact that Al was nothing more than an empty suit of armor and an attached soul, he could still feel his presence emanating from piece of iron. It was slightly comforting, though it could not remove the grief that had taken hold of the young Alchemist's heart.

"Niisan, are you alright? Did anything happen after you and Colonel Mustang walked away? … Niisan?"

A tear had finally managed to break through the barrier Ed had erected. He clenched his fists and firmly shut his eyes to prevent any more tears breaking free. "Al… Lieutenant Colonel Hughes has died." His voice was scarcely more than a whisper. "No, I mean, Commodore Hughes has died. Mustang showed me his gravestone. He was killed in action. Al, he's dead." There was a deep desperation and anguish in the boy's voice that pierced through Al's invisible heart.

"N-no way… He's dead? Hughes-san is dead?" Al sounded shocked, which was the only way to tell how hard the news had hit him. The younger boy, however, was much more sensible than his reckless older brother – which might be caused by the fact he had only his soul and not the all those cumbersome emotions, like fear, sadness or grief. "Niisan, you'd better go back. It's raining and you'll catch a cold if you stay outside."

The logic reasoning of Alphonse, however, missed its target and Edward flamed up. "I don't care if it's raining! I don't care if I'll catch a cold! Don't you understand it? Hughes is dead! Dead! Dead, like mother!" His lower lip began to tremble as the emotions began to take over the scientific part of the his mind. "Forget it!" Without looking again at his brother, Edward ran away, dashing the tears away from his eyes.

Alphonse sighed, shaking his head. "Niisan, you idiot. Be careful." And with that, the younger boy returned to the headquarters, his mind filled with concern.

* * *

"Did you see Fullmetal?" Mustang inquired immediately when he saw Alphonse.

"I saw him on the streets, but I have no idea where he is now, Colonel," the armored boy replied politely. He hesitated for a moment. "I heard that Hughes-san has died. I'm sorry."

_How strange, actually,_ Mustang thought as he nodded slightly. _I should be the one to comfort him, but in this case, it's the other way around._ "We are all very sorry about his death," he managed to say neutrally. "You have absolutely no clue where I could find him?"

Alphonse shook his head. "Niisan could be anywhere. I think it's better to leave him alone for a while. He'll calm down after a while. I know him." Mustang would swear he perceived a vague smile in the boy's last sentence.

Mustang fretted silently. With Fullmetal running around without being able to think clearly and possible enemies wandering freely, the boy could get himself into trouble within a blink of the eye. The fact that he could see Hughes as well made him too precious to let him get killed as well. A sudden notion began to form in his mind and he reminded himself to ask that later to his friend.

"Colonel? Is there any reason behind the death of Hughes-san?"

"Hm? We're not sure. The case is closed and I'm not in charge of it." The evasive answer proved to be useful again. Explaining the fact that he could see ghosts would not be a wise thing to do.

"Can't you make any guess, Colonel? He didn't die because of us, did he?"

Mustang glanced quickly at the shimmering figure of Hughes, who shook his head. "No. As far as we can determine, his death has nothing to do with your search to the Philosopher's Stone. We're not sure, though. There are very few hints of who has done it." It was a lie, he already knew who was responsible for Hughes' death. But it was once again one of those things he could not explain.

"Thank you, Colonel. I'll see if I can find my reckless brother." Alphonse Elric bowed and walked away.

"Funny," the Flame Alchemist commented dryly. "I always thought siblings always knew where the other was. Guess I'm disillusioned once again."

"I can see you were the only child," Hughes responded. "Siblings always have many fights as well. And then it doesn't matter who they are, if they're twins or not, they'll always have fights. It's a common pastime between brothers and sisters."

"Heh. You know… I always looked up to you as my older brother when we were younger. You were always the one who helped me with my study, or who got me away from my mother or made up some excuse why we were late."

Hughes snorted. "You were doing a great job in the last thing as well, Roy. I sometimes thought you born lying. But then again, that might be exactly what you need when you become Fuhrer."

"Still pushing me up, Hughes?" he asked faintly amused.

"You know it, Roy. Even death forces me to keep you out of trouble."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

They were in a hushed discussion when the door banged open and Fullmetal entered the room. He did not look well, Hughes thought. The shock came harder than the boy dared to admit, but the pale, withdrawn face gave away exactly how he felt.

"You were looking for me." His voice was hoarse, an indication he had been crying. Hughes permitted himself a faint smile. Although it had not been necessary at his death, it was nonetheless good for the boy to let go of his emotions. For as far as he knew Edward, he had cropped up those feelings inside him for too long and that could eventually kill him.

"Yes, I did. I'm surprised Alphonse could find you. Before you run off again, there are a few things you need to know." Mustang glanced up at his friend.

"Well," Hughes started. "You know the affairs of the fifth laboratory. As I recall, you played a great role in the laboratory's disaster, so I'll skip that part. What you didn't know was that after your departure, I went to do some investigation on my own. The case was closed, but it didn't satisfy my curiosity. I discovered a few interesting facts, which probably lead to my death. I knew too much and the enemy didn't like that.

"Now, you know of the Homonculus, right?" Edward nodded. "Good. Whoever they are, they form the main part of the enemy. Moreover, the enemy has infiltrated into the army. We don't know yet who belongs to the other side. We do know, however, that Captain Juliet Douglas, the secretary of the Fuhrer, is one of them."

Hughes fell silent and watched the golden-haired boy, who was busy coping with all the information. The former Intelligence officer waited patiently until Edward was ready. Quick of mind was he, however, and it didn't take long before Ed looked up for more.

"There isn't much more," he continued. "We are currently busy trying to find out who co-operates with the enemy and what the enemy is trying to accomplish. That'll be basically my job, since Roy is glued to his desk and you have other things to do as well. Just remember that you're one of the few who can see me, so don't blurt this out to everyone."

"Also, since you're in this as well," Mustang added, "we'd like some help as well. Whether you like it or not, you're taking part of it like we do and when the time comes, you and me will have to do the fighting. Do you understand that?"

"Of course I do." Edward shuffled a bit with his feet. "Was that all?"

"For the moment yes. Report for duty tomorrow. Get some sleep now."

"Thank you, Colonel." Ed bowed curtly and stamped away.

The two men watched how the small figure disappeared behind the wooden door. Then Mustang looked up at Hughes. "You didn't mention Alicia."

"I know. He doesn't need to know it yet. Besides, she has you as her champion, right?" He winked at the grumpy Colonel.

"Can't you ever be serious?" Mustang snapped.

"Not if I can help it. You need to laugh from time to time. It's healthier than scowling." He patted his best friend insultingly on the head. "Let's go home. We have several books to read before the end of the week."

"It's only Thursday."

"That is almost the end of the week, Roy."

* * *

"Niisan, wait for me!" Alphonse quickened his pace to catch up with his brother. "What did the Colonel want from you? He said earlier he was looking for you."

"It's nothing really," the golden-haired boy shrugged. "You know how the Colonel is, bugging other people with needless warnings and boring talks. Basically, all he really did say was that I should bring in my report tomorrow instead of today."

"That was all?"

Ed shrugged again. The conversation with the two men made him a bit unsure of what he was supposed to keep a secret and what he could say to his younger brother. _Oh well,_ he thought. _As long as I don't announce I see ghosts, everything will be fine, right? Besides, I can't keep anything from Al. He'd find out sooner or later anyway, and I'd just hurt his feelings if I don't tell him._

"The Colonel explained me a bit what had caused Hughes' death. You remember the Homonculus, don't you, Al? They're not altogether sure of it, but the military suspects they are behind his death. Since it has _something_ to do with our mission, he wanted to warn us for some dangers. He even mentioned there might be some fighting in the future and he said he'd need me then. I'm touched, of course, to have been invited by the great, almighty Flame Alchemist for some fighting party."

"Isn't that going to be very dangerous?" Al sounded doubtful.

"Of course it is, but everything we do is dangerous. Don't worry, we'll survive it. Right?" Edward flashed a broad grin at his armored brother. "Anyway, just shows again that the Colonel can't do anything on his own. Poor little Mustang needs help from a kid. What do you think the military will think of this?"

"Niisan! You don't talk like that over the Colonel."

Ed waved that protest away with an even broader smirk. "Why not? Are you going back to the base? I need to do something first and I can manage on my own. I'll catch up with you later."

"Hn, alright."

"No protests?" The Alchemist sounded surprised.

"You're not going to listen to them, right?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Just be careful, Niisan. We don't know where the enemy is."

"Ah. I'll see you later then." Ed ran off in some direction before Al could change his mind. He definitely didn't want any help with this.

* * *

Envy watched how the Fullmetal Alchemist disappeared in the darkness before he changed back to his usual form. "Well, thanks a lot for the information, Hagane no Chibi-san. You've been most helpful."

He smirked superiously. The notion of changing into that empty suit of armor the little brat called his brother seemed to have worked even better than he had thought. It shouldn't be too hard to plan what the other side was going to do. The only question remained how they found out about this.

The Homonculus shrugged indifferently. It didn't really matter. They were dead soon anyway. "I'd better call Sloth to inform her about this. I bet Hagane no Chibi-san is going to be in for some bad time."

_TBC_


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Author's note:** Ed and Al in action. I hope the scene is alright, I'm not good at writing action scenes. sweatdrop I'm much better at writing cute romantic scenes and such than this. But that's the challenge, right? Anyway, I hope it's still good and that you all enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews so far!

**Warnings:** A lot of spoilers from episode 25... so if you're new in the series and you haven't seen that episode yet, I strongly advise you not to read it yet. It's also Alternate Universe (meaning it's written in a different universe than the original series... you'll see why), and for the rest I wouldn't know yet. Oo;;

**

* * *

Second Life – Chapter Five**

"I'm back," the blond alchemist announced as he slammed the door shut. He dropped the books on a table and moved over to the sofa, where his younger brother was. Edward sprawled ungraceful next to him.

Alphonse looked up from his book. "What did Colonel Mustang want to know, Niisan?" he inquired while he put aside his book.

Ed glared at the empty suit of armor. "Come on, Al. I already told you that. Don't play the dumb guy here. It's not that interesting to say it more than once and you should know it."

"… Niisan, you haven't told me anything." Alphonse sounded puzzled. "I haven't seen you anymore after I told you that the Colonel wanted to talk to you."

"Al, stop joking," Ed grunted. "I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"But, Niisan, I _really_ haven't seen you after that."

Edward was about to give a hot retort when he realized Al would never be able to pull off a joke like that. "… You are really serious about that, aren't you?"

Al nodded. "I wouldn't have asked it otherwise, Niisan. The Colonel didn't want to say anything to me and I went back to the dorm immediately after I found you. I thought that would be the best place to wait for you."

"But… then… to whom have I just spoken to?" Ed exclaimed astonished. "I did talk to you after I left Mustang, I did tell you about what has happened. It has to have been you. There are no other suits of armor like this walking around and I'd recognize your voice any time."

"Niisan, do you remember that guy who could change himself into Brasque Gran? What if he could change himself into me as well?"

Ed stared at his younger brother for a long time before he gathered his wits again. "You mean… I just briefed everything over to a Homonculus?" He jumped on his feet, running at the door. "We have to warn the Colonel, Al. Quick!"

"Hn!" His brother followed him with a lot of noise, catching up quickly with the smaller boy.

The two ran out of the dorms and on to the streets. It rained, but neither of them cared about it, even though the rain made the pavement slippery. Energetically, Edward sought his way through the maze of streets…

…and came suddenly to an end when he stood face to face with the three Homonculus. Lust and Gluttony stood there with a show of absolute innocence. The third, Envy, smirked malicious at the two boys.

"Well, well, if it isn't Hagane no Chibi-san. Fancy meeting you here."

* * *

With a deep sigh, Mustang slammed the book shut and picked up the next one. It was the umpteeth book he opened, the umpteeth book he would read and try to find clues to what was happening. Of course, he didn't find a single thing, and after half an hour, he closed it again and put it away.

"No luck?" the ghostly figure of Hughes asked, looking up from his own book.

"I don't understand why they were important to you," Mustang grunted sourly. He scratched absently his head. "What about you?"

Hughes shrugged. "I think I have more luck than you do. But then, I started this research in the first place. First of all, we know the Ishvar war was started by a soldier named Juliet Douglas, only she was dead even before the war erupted and as it turns out, she's now secretary of the Führer and a Homonculus. Second, the Homonculus want the Philosopher's Stone for some obscure reason. But…" His voice trailed off as he leafed through the books. "Ah, here it is. According to this file, right before the Philosopher's Stone would be created, everyone involved in it dies and all evidence vanishes. My guess is that the Homonculus are behind it." Hughes frowned. "Only that doesn't make any sense, because if they want people to create the Philosopher's Stone, why would they kill everyone involved just _before_ it is completed? I can understand you want to hide the evidence, but it would be more logic if that was done _after_ the completion of the Philosopher's Stone."

"Maybe they want that only a rumor exists," Mustang mused. "Then that would mean-" He broke himself off and shook his head. "No, never mind. You're right, it's illogical. But who knows what's logical to a Homonculus?"

* * *

"Well, well, if it isn't Hagane no Chibi-san. Fancy meeting you here." The sentence kept repeating itself in his head as he assaulted the evil trio. He would never win this fight and he knew it. What happened at the fifth laboratory was proof enough. But Edward wasn't going to give up without a fight.

He could hear his brother engaged in a fight with Gluttony and Lust. If it was possible, he would have rushed over to kick their asses and tell them to leave Al alone, but Envy made that option rather impossible. Edward ducked away to avoid a blow and kicked the palm-haired Homonculus straight in his stomach.

This fight was useless. Unless they possessed some bits of the Homonculus' bodies, they would never stand a chance. All they had to do was to distract them long enough so they could escape.

A sudden hit in his stomach caused him to fly through the air and Edward landed painfully on the cobblestones. The crash left him gasping for breath. A hard kick followed, and a third one and a fourth one. Just when he expected the fifth blow, his brother shouted, "Stay away from him!"

It was a useless sentence – even more useless than this fight – but it worked. The palm-haired Homonculus got distracted and Edward seized that opportunity to deliver a firm and precise kick against the Homonculus' knees. It had the desired effect; Envy was sent spinning away to give the small blond some breathing room.

"Al! Run!"

Edward didn't look back as he sprinted away from the fighting scene. He didn't have to – Al made enough noise when he ran to tell him his younger brother managed to shake off his two attackers. The young Alchemist ran as fast as he could through the maze of streets and alleys to get away from the three Homonculus.

"Are they gone?" he wheezed when he finally paused to catch his breath again.

Al looked carefully behind them. "Hn, I'd say they didn't follow us. Are you alright, Niisan?"

"Just… catching… my breath." Edward leaned against the wall and waited until his breath had become slower. "Alright, let's move on. The Colonel's house shouldn't be that far away from here anymore."

* * *

"Alright, I give it up," Mustang grumbled. "If I have to look into one of those damn books any longer, I think I'll have to scream."

"Oh, that'd be fun," Hughes commented dryly. "I haven't heard you scream since you were twelve. What did ever happen to that guy that bullied you at high school?"

"He had a small accident," Mustang answered shortly.

"He had? I've never heard of it"

The dark Colonel shrugged indifferently. "Apparently, someone punched him in the face and he lost half of his teeth. At least I think he was looking for his teeth. He must've been looking for something, with all that crawling over the ground."

"I never thought you were good at fighting," his friend said surprised.

"Of course I am. I just don't like it. That's the difference."

A loud banging on the door interrupted their conversation. The two friends blinked in unison, then gazed at each other in astonishment. Who could that ever be? The knocking continued and tension grew in the small study room.

"Shouldn't you answer it?" the former leader of the Investigation department inquired.

"Maybe."

Hughes watched him for several seconds. "You're afraid."

"I'm not afraid, I'm cautious. I don't like the idea of inviting some enemy in my house."

"But you don't know if it's the enemy." The knocking broke off abruptly. "… I really think you should answer it now, Roy."

Mustang stood reluctantly up and answered the door. "… Fullmetal."

Edward froze in the middle of a step. "So you _are_ at home, Colonel. Respond faster the next time, because if I'm in danger, I could end up dead because of your laziness."

"I am not lazy, Fullmetal. Did something happen?"

"Did something happen?" Edward imitated his superior voice. "May my arm fall off if it didn't happen! Yes! Yes, goddammit, something _did_ happen! Now can we come in or shall I just shout through the whole city what just had happened?!"

"You can come in once you've calmed down, Fullmetal. I'm not in the mood of all this yelling from you today." He stepped aside to let the Elric brothers inside. Edward glared and stamped into the house. Alphonse followed with an uneasy expression. Mustang still found it a miracle how Alphonse managed to convey expressions with that suit of armor of his.

He closed the door behind him and followed the two brothers to the living room. Hughes had emerged from the small study as well and watched amused at the Elric brothers.

"So what brings you here, Fullmetal?"

"We met the Homonculus. They know what we're trying to do."

A stunned silence. "How?"

"I met this guy called Envy, only I thought he was Al. He asked what you wanted to talk about, so I told him. Then I got back at the dorm, where the real Al was and then I discovered that I had not been talking to my brother, but to this psycho. We decided to warn you then, but the three Homonculus blocked our path and we had a fight. At some point, we managed to escape and we ran as fast as we could to this place."

There was a long moment of silence as both Hughes as well as Mustang thought this bad news over.

"That's serious," the taller man finally commented.

"Aa, it is," the Colonel nodded.

Alphonse blinked confused. Or better said; if he could blink, he would have done it right there at the spot. "Ano… what is what, Colonel?" he asked politely.

Cursing himself for his own inattentiveness, Mustang laughed sheepishly at the younger Elric. "Ah, sorry. Just finishing an unspoken thought out loud. I thought that this was serious. It's not that the Homonculus know what we know that's serious – no doubt that they'd found out about it anyway sooner or later – but what concerns me mostly is the way _how_ they got this information."

Edward did his best to stifle his laughter; Roy had trouble with keeping his face straight. Hughes had provided almost literary every word of that little speech and that frustrated the fearsome Alchemist more than just a little. He didn't need someone to tell him simple things like that.

"Ah, I understand it. But what should we do now?"

"We need to find information first." Roy considered the situation. "How much have you told your brother?"

"The Envy-Al or the real Al?" A stern gaze from the Flame Alchemist. "Alright, alright, relax. I didn't tell Al anything, because I didn't have the time for it. As soon as I found out that I'd just briefed everything over to a Homonculus, I thought it would be best to inform you immediately."

"I see. Alphonse, we believe that Brigadier General Hughes was murdered because he discovered too much about the true nature of the Homonculus and what happened at the fifth laboratory." He glared in Hughes' direction, who mimicked a most dramatic death, which involved a lot of gurgling, gasping and twitching.

Hughes caught the scowl and recovered instantly. "I'll continue with this investigation of ours."

Mustang thought that was a very wise decision of him before he felt obliged to find out if ghosts could burn as well.

"Lieutenant colonel Hughes was murdered because of that?" Shock echoed in the young boy's voice.

"We believe he was, yes. And there is a strong suspicion that it has happened from inside the military. That's why we need information first – to find out who are with the enemy and who are not. Only after that, we can form our plan to disrupt their plans – whatever they are."

"We already know their plans," Edward announced quietly. "The Homonculus need the Philosopher's Stone, because they want to become human. We also know how the Homonculus are born, Colonel."


End file.
